Current Section
President's Corner
Gary Gonzales, MBA
President
"Recreational Program 2012 Spring Season"
November 15, 2011
Dear Fellow Parents,
Boerne FC Thunder has received much feedback from parents and volunteers alike whose children have had a positive and fun experience during the Fall 2011 Season. We are very much interested in replicating the experience in Spring 2012 and has already begun planning activities. Please take a moment to review the following information pertaining to the Spring 2012 Recreational Program:
Spring 2012 Season (Recreational Program)
- Dec 15 – Jan 31: Regular, Online Registration
- Feb 1 – 15: Late Registration (additional $35 late fee per child on a space available basis)
- Feb 16: Registration Closes
- Feb 22: Recreational Coaches Kickoff Meeting
- Feb 25 or Mar 3: Coaching Clinics/Modules (Tentative)
- Mar 5: First Week of Practice
- Mar 12 – 16: BISD Spring Break (no scheduled Recreational practice)
- Mar 19: Second Week of Practice (post Spring Break)
- Mar 24: First Game Day
- Apr 7: No Games Scheduled (Easter Weekend)
- May 19: Last Game Day
Registration
- Process: In order to improve efficiency, registration will be required to be completed using our online system. Please register during regular registration as this great helps the process of team formation and getting the season started on the right foot.
- Fees: Early bird discounts, financial assistance, and payment plans will not be offered.
- Consent to Use Pictures: BSC is weeks away from launching a new website that has functionality allowing teams to post pictures. The registration process will include a section where parents are asked for consent to use pictures of their child(ren). It is important to know information that may be used to identify the child will not be used in order to maintain anonymity.
- Uniform: Players returning in the Spring 2012 season will reuse the Fall 2011 uniform, so keep it in a safe place.
- Spring Team Formation: In general, if a player and coach return for the Spring season and there is no special circumstance, returning players will be placed with the same coach in the Spring as in the Fall. Therefore, Spring 2012 Recreational teams will likely be similar to Fall 2011 Recreational teams.
Please enjoy the upcoming holidays with your family, be safe, and rest for the upcoming season.
Kind Regards,
Gary
Gary
Gary Gonzales, MS, MBA
President, Boerne Soccer Club
President, Boerne Soccer Club
"Areas of Focus"
October 2011
Dear Fellow Parents,
I am honored to have obtained a vote of confidence by membership of the Boerne Soccer Club (BSC) who elected me President on June 22, 2011. I have assumed my new role with both a sense of urgency and responsibility for making decisions that are in the best interest of the club where children in our community come together to enjoy the great sport of soccer.
The purpose of this email is two-fold: i) provide a brief introduction of myself, and ii) outline key activities of focus during my time in this position and communicate club accomplishments achieved in prior 120 days.
Introduction
My wife, Jackie, and I have been married for 12 years. She owns a business that serves private (biotechnology and pharmaceutical) and public (government) sectors. I have been in the biopharmaceutical industry for 17+ years as a global manager of medical trial research. Our family has supported BSC for the prior three years (six seasons). During this time, I have had the pleasure of watching my daughters, Sophia and Ava, fall in love with the sport which is something dear to this father’s heart since I, too, played soccer as a child. Jackie, my daughters and I have made great friends and have had much fun in the process.
Areas of Focus & Achievements To Date
During my time with BSC, I have observed areas that would benefit from the implementation of good business practices. Areas that I will focus upon include, but are not limited to, communication, organization, and awareness.
To date, activities relating to these three focal areas have been deemed high priority. In the first 120 days, the club has achieved the following accomplishments pertaining to these focal areas:
Volunteer Recruitment:successfully recruited the following parent volunteers for positions (some of which have been vacant for up to 5 years) specified:
- David Perryman, VP, Development & Fundraising
- Juan Antonio Gutierrez, VP, Recreational Program >U9
- Lewis Chandler, VP, Recreational Program <U8
- John Sander, Commissioner, U6
- Catherine Nelson, Commissioner, U5
- Marty Morris, Commissioner, U11 B
- Erica Mitchell, Commissioner, U11 G
- Darren Stoelzing, Registrar (elected June 2011)
- Julie Vickery, Co-Registrar
Fundraising Committee:members of the committee have been identified and the inaugural meeting was held in Aug 2011. Plans are in place to develop a 3-month and 3-year plan by 2012.
Coach Kickoff Meeting: hosted more than 40 parent volunteers for the Coach Kickoff Meeting whose feedback included the meeting was “very organized”, “well managed”, “very informative”, and “shows positive changes have occurred with club leadership.”
Coaching Clinic: hosted parent volunteers for a four hour age-specific coaching clinic
Thunder Junior: successfullylaunched Thunder Junior program.
San Antonio Scorpions FC: established communication with professional club to plan for future mutually beneficial activities.
Document Centralization: collected and filed all club-related documents in a central database for easy access and safe-keeping.
Business Plan: convened on two consecutive weekends to develop a business plan that will serve as the ‘compass’ for current and future decisions.
Player and Parent Handbook: developed handbook to be posted to website for reference; contains an overview of each program and, importantly, all club policies.
Website: maintained website with current information regarding pre-season activities. Importantly, we have contracted Sports NGIN to overhaul the website resulting in functionality that will allow for increased communication while branding our club.
Social Media: established a club-specific group on Facebook and Twitter and have observed membership grow daily
City of Boerne Parks and Recreation Department: participated in annual meeting with City of Boerne in advance of Fall 2011 season. The club received positive feedback regarding maintenance of the city park.
On-site Registration: hosted on-site registration at Wal-Mart and Dick’s Sporting Goods on three separate weekend days
Chevy Vehicle Fundraiser: launched fundraising activities where 100% of proceeds will benefit our club.
Financial: conducted a comprehensive review of the 2011-2012 budget and in the process of planning for an independent audit to be conducted.
While it may be impossible to meet every parent, I know we share a common desire, namely, to be a member of a club that provides timely communication, is well organized, and has a passion for creating a healthy learning environment for our children to receive high quality coaching/training. I am confident that focusing on the three aforementioned categories (Awareness, Communication, and Organization) will allow us to help our club reach its full potential.
This message marks the first of several interactions between us. Indeed, communication is key to the success of any organization and it is important that we open “gates of communication.” Please add my personal contact information to your address book. I encourage you to call or write me should you have a question, concern, or to say ‘hello’.
I am happy to be only one of many parent volunteers who appreciate the importance of youth sports and act to make it possible in our community.
Go Thunder!!
Kind Regards,
Gary
